Student on Sports, formerly a part of IUPUI Campus Citizen, is your one-stop-shop for all things sprouting from the head of this American sports fanatic, blogging on European football to American college sports and everything in between!

March 16, 2011

What Really Happened: IUPUI & The CBI

There has been plenty of rumors flying around about why IUPUI's season came to a screeching halt after receiving a bid to the College Basketball Invitational.
Okay, here's the deal.

The guys took a bus to Minnesota a few hours after losing to Oral Roberts in the semifinal of the Summit League Tournament. While on the bus, the coaching staff heard from the Gazelle Group, the organization that runs the CBI, receiving an invitation to the tournament.

The players were not unanimous in their desire to participate, and the coaches agreed to hold a vote later to decide if the team would participate. It's unclear if the vote was then unanimous, but the staff decided to accept the bid, telling the seniors they could participate or not - it was up to them. Practice was scheduled for Monday to prepare for the first round game.

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Sunday night, the CBI field was released. IUPUI was not a part of that group, confusing all of us. Players were asking each other for information, and no one really knew what to say.

Apparently the Gazelle Group, in all of its wisdom, wasn't only charging to play in the tournament. They told IUPUI - who participated in the CBI last year - they must also agree to a pre-season tournament next season. Though I haven't received confirmation from the staff directly, I can very much see Coach Hunter not wanting to agree to something that far in advance. Though he is known for signing his team up for as many games as possible, agreeing to a tournament so far in the future seems a bit silly.

So there you have it. A greedy organization once again ruins a college basketball season. Thanks, Gazelle Group.

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Student on Sports, formerly a part of IUPUI Campus Citizen, is your one-stop-shop for all things sprouting from the head of this American sports fanatic, blogging on European football to American college sports and everything in between!